Vulnerability
by Weaving a Tangled Web
Summary: Some people seem unyielding. Impenetrable. Invincible. Or so they appear. Weakness isn't a topic that someone regularly discusses. Yet the confrontation avoided is what they need. In the end, love is the only thing that unveils vulnerability. Oneshot.


**Disclaimer**: I do not, nor will I ever, own Vampire Academy. Any references or characters belong to Richelle Mead. The plots and settings that differ from the original Vampire Academy book series belong to me.

**Author's Note**: So, this was originally from a set of oneshots story thing that I had going on, but I decided to split it up... because I found it kind of misleading, as I had said it was for a daily dose of Dimitri and Rose oneshots. So as a result (a couple months later), I'm separating the oneshots into actual separate things. Just because I wanted to delete a couple. And because I felt like it.

This is fluffy. Cute. That sort of concept. If you like fluffy, cliche, and hopeless romanticism, this is your oneshot. (:

Enjoy!

_x Mel_

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><p><em>Something always brings me back to you.<em>  
><em>It never takes too long.<em>  
><em>No matter what I say or do I'll still feel you here 'til the moment I'm gone.<em>  
><em>You hold me without touch.<em>  
><em>You keep me without chains.<em>  
><em>I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love and not feel your rain.<em>  
><em><br>Set me free, leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity._  
><em>Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be.<em>  
><em>But you're on to me and all over me.<em>

- "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles

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><p>"I'm definitely ready to learn how to stake a Strigoi." I said, grinning confidently. Giving Dimitri a knowing look, my body mockingly tensed into an offensive stance.<p>

"Rose," Dimitri sighed in exasperation. "It takes guardians years to learn how to stake a Strigoi. A guardian has to go through the basics on where the heart is, what protects it, and how to even hold the stake. It's harder than it looks." His brown eyes met mine, returning the knowing look I had gave him earlier.

"Actually, you're right. It does look pretty difficult. But I like challenges." I flashed him an excited smile, knowing full well that he already knew that.

Dimitri groaned in response. I suppressed a laugh. Oh, how I loved to annoy the hell out of him.

"That doesn't surprise me, Rose."

"But I need to know. Now." I frowned. His dark eyes were inches from mine. I felt my knees falter a bit in my offensive position. Right then and there, I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to dive into his wise, understanding, _gorgeous_ eyes and stay in his arms for eternity. But I was getting a little ahead of myself. I cursed silently at my raging hormones. Staking a Strigoi first, fantasies later.

"Our lesson is over. You should go to dinner. I heard they grilled hamburgers, for once, today. They'll probably be gone if you don't hurry." I tried to raise my eyebrow at him, but failed miserably. Dimitri seemed to be trying to get rid of me. Though my stomach rumbled at the thought of the succulent taste of a hamburger. He knew my weaknesses. Ironically enough, Dimitri was one of them. He smirked, evidently hearing my stomach's protests.

"Dimitri, why are you so against teaching me how to use a stake?" Silence followed. Dimitri's unfathomable eyes studied me. I sighed and returned from my offensive to my relaxed stance. He continued watching me as I flopped down onto the gym mat. Dimitri did the cool, one eyebrow thing, which I haven't fully mastered. Yet.

"Rose, what are you doing?"

"Well, I'm currently riding a unicorn, while holding a battle axe, awaiting to be shipped off into a war." The left side of his lips pulled up into a half-smile. I figured that he was light-hearted at the moment, and continued. "Now, Comrade, I want you to go grab me a burger. Hold the mustard. When you return, I shall eat it. And then, you will teach me how to stake the Strigoi... err, practice dummy."

His guardian mask fell into place, but I could tell Dimitri was amused. He opened his mouth, as if he were about to counter the Rose-logic I used. Instead, he gave me a full smile. Whenever Dimitri had a full smile on his face, my heart melted into mushy heart pudding. Automatically, I smirked, assuming Dimitri was going to give in.

I was wrong. Dimitri bent down and seated himself beside me on the cold mat. His tall frame still towered over mine when we sat together. I studied the contours of his face: the way his smile reached his eyes, the flawlessness of his face, the strange way he was still smiling.

"Why so happy, Comrade?" I asked, genuinely curious. Dimitri just chuckled and leaned towards me. His face was a centimeter away from mine. My heart pounded against my rib cage. My breath soon became laboured as the smell of his aftershave wafted into my nose. Soon, one of his arms gently manoeuvred its way around my waist, causing my breath to hitch, and my throat to make a choking sound. I mentally slapped myself for screwing up a moment like this. He gave me a half-smile and continued to lean towards my face.

I had to restrain myself from wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him senseless. Dimitri's closeness was becoming unbearably torture. My face flushed as I thought of what would happen if we went beyond kissing.

Suddenly, his arm lashed out to sweep underneath my knees and I found myself being scooped up in his arms. I growled at him as I struggled to escape his hold.

"That, was a very dirty trick, Dimitri. I'll have to make you pay… next practice." I realized at that point, I had just surrendered to him. My pride fell down the drain, as I tilted my head downwards to hide my tomato-red face from Dimitri. This got me a laugh. "Yeah, you're laughing now. But just wait. I also have _very dirty _tricks up my sleeve." Lifting my head, I checked Dimitri's face to see if he had heard the sexual innuendo. If he had, Dimitri hadn't acknowledged it.

After a while, he finally spoke. "You're so predictable, Roza." I huffed and pouted. "Don't be that way. We'll learn tomorrow. Now, care to explain what this is really about?"

"What, what was really about?"

"Learning to stake a Strigoi. Normally, you wouldn't have been so persistent and stubborn. Maybe." Dimitri mused. I ignored the last jab.

"Arthur Schoenberg." Dimitri's eyebrows furrowed in thought. But afterwards, those two words eventually caused him to stiffen.

"You want to learn how to stake a Strigoi… then go after a group of Strigoi?"

"No. Yes. Sort of. But that's not what I meant. I felt so helpless, so much weakness! I hate feeling so feeble!"

"You've never been weak, Roza." Dimitri chuckled.

"You're laughing and smiling an awful lot today. Are you on happy pills or something?" This earned me a grunt.

"I am usually happy. But I'm a professional guardian; we don't have time to express our feelings. I know-"

"You sound like mindless robots?" I offered. Dimitri nodded. Our minds were in sync, as I just realized I had basically finished his thoughts. It gave me a tingly feeling of excitement.

"My happiness is beside the point, anyway. You are strong-minded, and not to mention that you are physically strong. You are quick, precise, tactical and graceful in your movements. If you were my enemy, I would fear you." Dimitri grinned. I smiled at his words.

"You're not so bad yourself, Comrade." I laughed, leaning my head against Dimitri's chest. I felt him tense at first, but he loosened up a couple seconds later. With that, a yawn escaped my lips.

"You've had a long day, Roza. I'll bring you back to your room." Once we got to my room, Dimitri set me down gently, onto my bed. I peeked up at him as he pulled the covers over me.

"So… about my burger…" I began.

Dimitri let out a snort. "What am I, your slave?" Once he saw the devious, sensuous grin on my face, he shook his head in disbelief. "Never mind, don't answer that question."

"Kidding, Comrade. Go get yourself some rest. I'll be down for practice tomorrow morning." I yawned as my eyes closed.

"Alright, Roza. Sleep well." I didn't hear any footsteps for a minute or so after his words. Was Dimitri just watching me sleep? That was sort of adorably sweet, in non-cheesy sort of way.

A pair of soft, warm lips pressed against my forehead, making my thoughts no longer coherent. All I could hear was my heart thudding quickly in my chest. I heard a slight chuckle, which meant Dimitri could hear my frenzied heart palpitations. I opened one eye slightly and childishly stuck out my tongue at him. He raised his eyebrow at me, as I shifted to reach my arms for him. He felt my arms wrap around his torso and lightly pressed his body on top of mine.

Lifting his head, Dimitri's heart melting chocolate brown eyes gazed into mine. I felt my breathing quicken once again. These physical reactions were beginning to become annoying. And they were giving me away. Luckily, this time, it wasn't only my breathing that became laboured, Dimitri's did as well.

Dimitri murmured something lovingly in Russian. I finally opened the other eye, and whispered back to him. "What'd you say?"

"It summarized how much I think about how lucky I am to have you." His voice was going to be the death of me. Hell, absolutely all of this sexy Russian was going to be the death of me.

"You know, you're one of my many weaknesses."

"That was entirely off topic." Dimitri smirked, and laid his head on my chest.

"Well, I just thought I'd let you know. I might appear invincible on the outside, but I'm just a person. You, the rest of the people I love, food, and even being weak, are my weaknesses." I paused. "I've never told anyone that." I whispered, sadly. Dimitri was so indestructible, so bulletproof. He was a Russian god after all. I longed to be free of any Achilles' heels.

Dimitri lifted his head off my chest, and returned to gazing into my eyes. He brought his hand up to caress my cheek, and moved forward so that his head was now over mine. "Invincible or not, I love you." His accent-laced voice became husky. Dimitri leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. Our mouths were caught in a dance of passion and love. Finally, he pulled back. He was always the one to pull back. Dimitri rolled off me, pressing his lips to mine once more, before heading towards the door.

"Good night, Dimitri. I love you." I whispered as he approached the door. Dimitri turned off the lights in my room. His shadow stretched across my room, with light illuminating behind him from the corridor.

"I love you too." Those words were like music to my ears. Satisfied and feeling incredible, I snuggled deeper into my comforter.

I couldn't be sure I heard it, but I swear I heard him whisper something, that made me feel much better about the chinks in my Rose Hathaway armour.

"You are one of my many weaknesses too, Roza."

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Aw. How sweet. Isn't Dimitri sweet everyone? I love that man. *swoons*

Reviews = love!

_x Mel_


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